"yes!"

This is a spacious hemispherical space with an unusually high ceiling. The main tone of the walls is white, and the reliefs on them are decorated with gold. The countless goddess sculptures placed around it and the large glass windows with good lighting are very consistent with the image of a "temple" in Ella's impression.

Passing through a corridor decorated with numerous colorful gems, Ella arrived at the temple of the Enstanit Church.

Unlike the "holy land", the temple is where the clergy handle the affairs of the church. Of course, apart from ordinary staff, only celebrities with prominent identities and extremely high status can enter here. Therefore, some believers in the church even regard being able to step into the temple as their ultimate goal.

"The decoration here is quite luxurious..."

Ella looked around habitually and murmured softly.

The walls of the corridor, which are tens of meters high, are engraved with the epic history of the continent. From the Demon King's Rebellion in the Demon God Age to the recent "Jealousy" War, all events are slowly unfolded in the form of pictures, and many nobles can be seen immersed in it on the road.

Having discovered something worth noting, Ella, who was following the knight, stopped.

"What is this?"

The finger pointed to the last story on the wall.

"My Lord Demon Queen, this is the 'War of Jealousy' from three hundred years ago."

"War of Jealousy? Mark of Sin?"

"Yes, back then, the Seal of Envy caused disaster in the northern part of the Bruzea Empire. Even though the Emperor mobilized more than half of the Western Continent's military might, they were still defeated. In the end, it was the Pope who joined forces with three other brave men to seal the Seal of Envy, and two of the four men died as a result."

Noticing the reverent look on the knight's face, Ella categorized him as someone who greatly yearned for stories about heroes, and turned her gaze towards Camisia.

"Half of the Western Continent's military strength has been assembled... Did Camisia go too?"

"No, it was Pride who took control of the body, and we were implementing a closed-door military policy at the time, so we didn't take any action. But based on the intelligence we have so far, if Pride had taken action at that time, he alone could have sealed the Seal of Envy."

“Eh…”

Ella was once again amazed by Camisia's extraordinary fighting power. It was incredible that she was content to stay with someone like her who knew nothing despite having such strength.

[Is the Demon King's attraction to the demons really that strong... I feel the need to research this.]

Following Camisia's words, Iris, who was walking in third place, took a step forward and came to Ella's side.

"Remember that the Mark of Envy is the weakest of all the original sins?"

"Does Elise know?"

"I hadn't noticed it before, but since Ella-chan mentioned wanting to learn more about it at the academy, I looked it up. According to the records of the God-Humans, the highest level the Seal of Envy has ever appeared is 50, and it's usually around 40. Unless someone has the ability to summon, control, and evolve monsters, an average Heroic Domain person could handle it."

As she spoke, Iris pointed to a mural they had passed before. According to the time calculation, this was a story that happened 2000 years ago.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is also the Seal of Jealousy."

"Wait, wait, so the Seal of Jealousy was sealed a long time ago? Why is it still appearing?"

Ella subconsciously checked the Seals of Gluttony and Wrath lying in storage. She'd assumed that once the Seal of Original Sin was sealed, it would be permanently obliterated from the world, but Iris's explanation completely overturned her belief.

With a helpless tone, Iris waved her hand.

"Isn't this natural? No seal can last forever. Even if a permanent spell is engraved with the 'Crystal of God', it will gradually rust over time and eventually affect the seal itself. Therefore, we can only add multiple permanent spells to the original sealing magic to maintain its existence and protect the final seal with permanent spells."

"This is like how Ella-chan uses a 'Magic Shield' when attacked. The more layers of 'Magic Shield' you have, the harder it is for the attack to be effective. In this case, time is the attack, the permanent spell is the 'Magic Shield', and Ella-chan is the protected seal. Generally speaking, once the permanent spell is worn away by time, the sealing magic will gradually lose its effect, so there is no such thing as a permanent seal."

After a pause, as if remembering something, Iris continued to add.

"Hmm... As for the Eternal Magic, that's a different concept. Like time magic, it was lost at the beginning of the Creation for unknown reasons. Also, Ella-chan's Arrow of Fire is a weapon sealed with the Eternal Magic."

"...I don't quite understand, but Iris is saying that because there's no permanent seal, the Seal of Sin keeps reappearing? Even if it becomes a mindless emblem? And the permanent spells Iris mentioned, can't they be added later? Where is the Seal of Sin stored after it's sealed?"

Ella's series of questions did not annoy Iris. On the contrary, a look of pride appeared on Iris's face. Apart from playing with other people's feelings, Iris's second biggest hobby was everything related to magic.

"If I answer in order, Ella-chan won't understand, so I'll answer according to relevance. First, let's talk about the Seal of Original Sin turning into an emblem. Because the power of the Seal of Original Sin is often beyond its scale, very few Seals of Original Sin have been directly reduced to emblems in history. They're almost always sealed using the simpler method. As for the Seals of Original Sin that have been reduced to emblems, except for the longer interval between their reappearances, there's no difference. Some of these are like undead creatures; if left alone for a while, they'll acquire consciousness on their own."

"Then there's the issue of seals being unable to be artificially added—existing seals cannot be altered. It's not impossible, but no one has been able to do it. The difficulty is equivalent to forming a ninth-level magic spell."

"Therefore, the only solution is to work on the existing permanent magic used to protect the seal, just like constantly thickening the outermost shield, adding more at regular intervals. This also creates new problems. If the seal itself collapses due to internal reasons—for example, the sealed Seal of Original Sin breaks free, or the surrounding environment undergoes drastic changes, or political reasons—once the internal seal is protected, no matter how many permanent spells are used, they will be ineffective."

Considering that a series of explanations would put Ella in an awkward position where her thoughts could not keep up with the explanations, Iris paused for a moment and looked down at Ella. Just as she imagined, Ella was lowering her head, as if trying hard to understand the situation. In other words, she didn't understand at all.

"Haha—it's my fault for telling Ella this. I'll just get straight to the point. Anyway, whether the Seal of Original Sin is sealed or violently reduced to its insignia form, it will eventually escape for various reasons. There's nothing we can do about it."

Iris's words made Ella feel guilty, but because the matter was too important, she had to continue asking.

"Hmm... Where will the sealed seal of original sin be kept?"

"Well, according to convention, whichever country solves the problem, keeps it. While this might cause trouble in the future, it's also a symbol of national strength. From the records Wadong gave me, there were times when more than four Original Sins were sealed in the Sacred Academy, but they all eventually escaped for various reasons."

"Wadong? Could it be that Uncle Wadong?"

Ella blinked when she heard the name she hadn't heard for a long time. If she remembered correctly, that was the store manager when she worked part-time at the Holy Academy, and he was a former hero.

Elise nodded.

"Yes, it's him. Although there are some things I can't tell Ella yet, I can be sure of this."

"Eh... As expected, he's the previous hero, knowing even this kind of thing."

"Well, Aira-chan, you don't have to worry about—"

Iris glanced at the nobles who had gathered around her because of her story. Since the identities of her group had long been made public, and she did not hide her long silver hair that symbolized the royal family of the God-man Clan, it was okay for her to say the following words out loud here. She was certain that no one in the entire Holy City would dare to do anything to her group. Even if she or Camisia did not take action, the Knights responsible for protecting her group's safety would step in to resolve the situation.

As if she wanted to deliberately tell others this news, Iris's voice suddenly became louder.

"—So, Ella-chan, don't worry about the two Seals of Original Sin you carry."

"What? Two!?"

"You must be kidding!"

"The Demon Queen has two marks of original sin!"

"Is another disaster coming—"

"Quiet! This is a guest from the Holy City. If you behave disrespectfully, we will enforce the Pope's orders!"

The knight's words immediately made the surrounding nobles shut up. They had already been informed of the Pope's order - anyone who violated it would be expelled from the Holy City. Although it seemed insignificant, considering the family's honor and future, no one dared to do anything that would bring shame to the family. What's more, provoking the people here was almost tantamount to seeking death - the two future queens of the Demon Clan and the God Clan, and the Princess of the Dragon Clan. If an Elf Princess and a Princess of the Bruzia Empire were to join in, it would not be wrong to say that it was a microcosm of the top country on the continent.

Seeing this scene, Shen Gan, who was standing behind Iris, sighed.

"You're doing things that will cause trouble to your seniors again."

"What's wrong with that? If everyone knows that it was Ella who destroyed these Seals of Original Sin, the misunderstanding that has always existed on the continent will disappear, right? As long as Ella finally hands the Seals of Original Sin over to the academy for safekeeping, no one will point fingers at Ella."

Without controlling her voice, Iris allowed the nobles around her to talk. From the rumors flying around, it was clear that many people were talking about why the princess of the God-Human Clan would make excuses for the Demon Princess. Of course, more people were discussing why these people gathered together.

But for Ella, these things are troublesome in another sense - that is, they make her too conspicuous.

Although her identity as the Demon Queen was enough to attract attention, she could accept it with the help of her companions. However, Iris's behavior undoubtedly focused all the attention of everyone present on herself. This abrupt feeling, like being focused on the stage spotlight, made Ella feel uncomfortable all over, fearing that any action would make people around her laugh.

In order to get rid of this discomfort, Ella turned her head stiffly and looked at the knight.

"Um... could you please continue leading the way?"

"Yes, His Holiness the Pope is waiting for you in the hall ahead."

The knight's right hand slapped against the silver-white armor, making a crisp sound. After bowing, he continued to walk towards the hall with Ella and the other knights.

Chapter 2: The Talk in the Temple and Theresa's Plan

After walking only a few steps, Ella and her group arrived at the most important place in the temple - the main hall that occupied a quarter of the temple's area.

The high ceiling and hemispherical dome make the entire space appear extremely spacious. Paired with magnificent golden and colorful decorations, stone pillars that require five people to hug, and extremely intricate reliefs, the solemn and dignified style is easily engraved in the mind. When people stand in it, they will inevitably have the illusion that they are very weak. In fact, most people will involuntarily tighten their shoulders when they come here for the first time. This is human nature.

"Welcome, guests from afar."

The Pope stood on the innermost stone steps of the hall with his arms open. Although Ella had seen the Pope's appearance before, in the daytime and in such a formal occasion, the Vampire Pope gave people a completely different feeling, more sacred than before.

[I feel like if this were in a game, there would be a symphony-style background sound at this time.]

After muttering to herself, Ella replied to the Pope with a smile.

"Nice to meet you. I am the one who united the Eastern and Western Demons, the heir to the next Demon King, the daughter of the previous Demon King, the one who destroyed 'Gluttony' and mastered 'Rage', and the friend of the Black Dragon.

……

A friend of Dragon King Fios Fast Igrid and the only princess of the Kingdom of Barris, Tifarian Zeos, and an envoy sent by the Holy Academy to the Kingdom of Barris, Eleraya Nott Mistydin.

Because there were so many titles and things they had done, it took Ella at least three minutes to finish the introduction. Although she could not see her companions' expressions because she was standing at the front of the team, she could still feel the atmosphere of wanting to laugh from her companions, especially Iris and Angeline.

In this world, lengthy introductions were a must when meeting important figures. It was as common sense as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, but actually putting it into practice was extremely troublesome. To give an example, it was that I had spent at least a whole day on the magic airship just to speak fluently. This was also why my companions found it amusing - it reminded them of the difficulties they had faced during practice.

Pope Enstanit nodded repeatedly for Ella's proper behavior and responded to Ella with a warm smile.

"I've heard that the Demon Queen is very young, but now it seems that my judgment was not good enough. Even if we look at the history of the continent, there are probably not many people who have achieved such success at such a young age."

"Your Holiness is very kind."

"Since you're the Demon Queen, it's okay if you don't use honorifics. If you prefer, just call me Theresia. I don't like these formalities."

Ella hesitated for a moment. Although the other party asked her to call him by his name, the Pope looked like an old man no matter how you looked at him, and it felt uncomfortable to call him by his name directly, so Ella chose a more compromising option.

"...Since His Holiness the Pope says so, then I should change my name to His Majesty Therea?"

"Hahaha, as long as the Demon Queen likes it, that's fine."

Tria laughed, then turned her attention to Iris behind Ella.

"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the princess of the Godman tribe, right?"

"Yes, I am the next queen of the Godman tribe..."

Such greetings were exchanged from Ella at the front to Camisia at the back, without missing a single person. Except for Angeline and Camisia, whose introductions were very brief, the others' introductions were almost no shorter than Ella's.

After listening to everyone, the Pope paused for a moment, slowly walked down the five steps, and came in front of the crowd.

"I would like to express my gratitude to everyone for freeing Lady Eve from the Staff of Holy Light."

"Eh? Your Majesty, Theresia?"

For a moment, Ella couldn't help but stand there in a daze at Tria's bow.

"Please accept my gift of gratitude, Your Excellency the Demon Queen. Lady Eve is a saint whose name has been written into the history of our church. Compared to her, these are but trivial matters."

"Yes, thank you."

Not only Tria, but even Eve, who had always been by Ella's side, bowed her head to thank her.

“Eh…”

Not paying attention to Ella's somewhat confused dry laugh, Theresia looked at the only guard beside her with a solemn expression.

"Bring the stuff up here."

"Yes."

Perhaps the "Message" magic was activated, as the guard's lips moved, as if he was communicating with someone.

Not long after, a group of nuns carrying wooden trays and several knights carrying huge boxes walked into the hall. After everyone arrived, Theresia continued to explain.

"This is a thank-you gift from me on behalf of the Church. Furthermore, I must apologize to the owner of the Holy Light Staff, Her Excellency the Demon Queen Elelaya."

[Is he finally here…?]

If I guessed correctly, Theresia should be talking about the curse of the Holy Staff. Considering that Camisia might go berserk after hearing about this, I had already informed everyone in advance and given a reasonable explanation.

"If Your Majesty Therea is referring to the curse of the Holy Staff—"

"Could it be that the Demon Queen already knows?"

There was a look of astonishment on Teriya's face, but she quickly returned to normal.

"It must be because of that Ntarosviel-sama, right?"

"Uh... that's not the case. When I pulled out the Holy Light Staff, I discovered it contained a curse."

"How is that possible! Unless you are higher than Lady Eve, who is level 59, it is impossible to observe."

"But I am the Demon Queen whose magic power is unparalleled in purity, you know?"

While speaking, Ella casually cast a water ball. People of Tria's level could tell the purity of magic just by looking at it, so there was no need for too much explanation. As for the connection between the curse and the purity of magic, it was completely a fabrication. After all, she had no idea why the curse had lost its effect.

After taking a quick look at the water ball condensed in Ella's hand, Theresa's eyes widened.

"Such purity! Is he truly the king of the continent's primitive races?... How many points of magic power will be increased by leveling up? Seven or eight?"

"About... ten o'clock?"

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